Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a Brain/Body Intervention for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Pilot Trial of POts Reprocessing Therapy (PORT).

PURPOSE: Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic autonomic disorder characterized by orthostatic intolerance and frequently accompanied by a broad constellation of debilitating symptoms. Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation within central-autonomic regulatory networks may contribute to symptom persistence. We developed POts Reprocessing Therapy (PORT), a neuroplasticity-informed behavioral intervention adapted from Pain Reprocessing Therapy. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical outcomes of PORT for individuals with POTS.

METHODS

We conducted a non-randomized, two-arm, open-label pilot feasibility trial. Adults with clinically significant POTS symptoms (Malmö POTS Symptom Score ≥ 42) received eight weekly PORT sessions (n = 14). A comparison group of adults with POTS receiving community care while awaiting entry to an autonomic clinic served as controls (n = 15). Self-report measures were collected at baseline and 8-week follow-up, including POTS symptom severity (Malmö), symptom catastrophizing, anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue, and quality of life. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed via recruitment, retention, and treatment satisfaction.

RESULTS

PORT demonstrated strong feasibility and acceptability, with 83% retention and strong satisfaction ratings among completers. Participants receiving PORT reported greater symptom improvement compared with community care controls. Mixed ANOVA analyses revealed significant group × time interactions for POTS symptoms (ηp2 = 0.283), anxiety (ηp2 = 0.363), symptom catastrophizing (ηp2 = 0.193), and depression (ηp2 = 0.186), reflecting moderate-to-large effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study suggests that PORT is a feasible and acceptable intervention and may be associated with improvements in POTS symptom burden and related psychological processes. Findings provide preliminary support for targeting central-autonomic processes through neuroplasticity-based interventions and warrant larger randomized controlled trials to evaluate efficacy and underlying mechanisms.